The Reserve
Bank today released its response
to submissions (PDF 245KB) following its public consultation on the
framework for restrictions on high loan-to-value ratio (LVR) residential
mortgage lending.

The Reserve Bank has also released a revised chapter of its Banking
Supervision Handbook (BS19) (PDF 252KB) that sets out the draft conditions
of registration that would apply in the event that LVR restrictions were
introduced.

Deputy Governor Grant Spencer said LVR restrictions are one of four macro-prudential tools
the Reserve Bank can use to manage financial system risks that can arise from
asset price, credit or liquidity cycles. Use of the tools by the Reserve Bank
was recently agreed in a memorandum of understanding with the Minister of
Finance.

"LVR restrictions on residential mortgage lending can help to dampen
excessive house price growth in periods when credit growth is boosting housing
demand beyond housing supply," Mr Spencer said. "In so doing, they
can reduce the risk of a rapid correction in house prices and the economic and
financial instability that would ensue.

"In situations where house prices are overvalued, the further that
house prices rise, the more likely it is that a disruptive downward correction
will occur. Such a correction would be very damaging if combined with a
significant deterioration in economic or financial conditions."

Mr Spencer said that, as a result of feedback received during the
consultation, the Bank was making some changes to the way it would implement LVR
restrictions.

"High LVR restrictions would involve setting a limit on the proportion
of new high-LVR lending that banks are able to do, rather than restricting it
altogether. This ‘speed limit' approach would enable many high-LVR
borrowers to continue to obtain mortgages.

"As we originally proposed, banks would be permitted to exempt a
limited number of categories of high-LVR loans, when calculating their
compliance with a specific speed limit. These include Housing New Zealand
mortgage-insured loans, bridging loans, refinancing loans and high-LVR loans to
borrowers who are moving home but not increasing their loan amount.

"Banks commonly issue mortgage borrowers with pre-approvals, which
represent a firm commitment to provide housing finance and may be valid for up
to six months. Some banks have indicated that they might be unable to meet a
speed limit in the first few months of it being introduced due to the pipeline
of pre-approved loans.

"To address this issue, we have decided that banks would initially be
required to meet a speed limit on high LVR lending measured as an average rate
over a six-month window. Thereafter, the speed limit for banks with lending in
excess of $100 million per month would apply to the average rate over
three-month windows, as originally proposed. However, we would expect the banks
to modify their approach to issuing pre-approvals, in order to ensure that they
fall within any speed limit on an ongoing basis.

"Banks with mortgage lending below $100 million per month will be
required to meet the speed limit on the average high-LVR lending rate over
six-month rolling windows, to reflect the greater volatility seen in their
high-LVR mortgage lending.

"We have also clarified our intended treatment of branches of overseas
banks operating in New Zealand. LVR restrictions would apply only to the New
Zealand balance sheet of the registered bank and not the offshore branches of
the international bank. However, the registered bank branch in New Zealand
would be prohibited from assisting other parts of the international bank to
write high LVR mortgage loans."

Mr Spencer said that if LVR restrictions are implemented, bank management and
directors will be expected to follow the spirit, not just the letter of the
restrictions.

"In particular, they will need to ensure that the policy is not avoided
or undermined through innovative lending practices. We will be maintaining a
close dialogue with the banks.

"As previously advised, the Reserve Bank would announce any decision to
implement LVR restrictions at least two weeks in advance of the restrictions
taking effect."

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